HIGH SCHOOL NEWS & NOTES
10/31/09: STATE SEMI-FINALS GAME SUMMARIES:
Girl's Championship Summary
The Cathedral girl's won their second girls soccer state championship in three years as they defeated the Fort Wayne Snider Panthers, 2-0, at Kuntz Stadium. This was the second meeting of the season for the two teams, the first match resulting in a 2-2 draw. It was the second straight trip to the championship game for the Panthers, who were defeated by Evansville Memorial in 2008.
The Irish (19-4-2) got on the board early scoring in the third minute on a goal by junior forward Sophie Spenia and senior forward Anna Ventimiglia with the assist. Cathedral’s defense keptthe Snider from taking any shots on goal during the first half and only one for the game. Snider's direct style was countered with a lot of possession from Cathedral and a very organized defense everytime Snider touched the ball. Pressure on the ball was a huge factor in keeping Snider in check.
Cathedral came out in the second half focused and composed where they outshot Snider 20-2. Their persistence paid off when sophomore midfielder Jasmine Whitaker capitalized off of a header from a cross by Ventimiglia. Junior goalkeeper Cara Fitzgerald and the Fighting Irish backline would continue their dominance, having allowed only one goal in seven post-season games and turning away the Panthers evertime down.
The young Panther squad dispatched of defending champion Evansville Memorial (21-3) in the semifinal game, 1-0. Coach Jim LaBorde led Snider to a final record of 17-4-3. Cathedral defeated South Bend St. Joseph’s (21-2-1) by a 2-1 score en route to the championship game. The Fighting Irish, coached by Marc Behringer, finished the season at 19-4-2.
Boy's Final Action
The Zionsville Eagles got the school’s first boys soccer state championship by defeating the Homestead Spartans, 3-1. It was the Eagles’ second straight trip to the championship game; Zionsville came up short against Evansville Memorial in last year’s state final by score of 3-2 (5-4 PK). Zionsville looked focused and a team to be reckoned with from the beginning.
The Spartans (18-4-1) got on the scoreboard first in the 16th minute courtesy of a goal by senior forward Kegan Harkenrider, assisted by senior midfielder Connor McMahon. The Eagles would not trail for long, responding in the 24th minute with a Dylan Mares header to tie the match. The goal was Mares’ 24th of the season, tying him with fellow senior A.J. Corrado for the team high. The Eagles took the lead when senior midfielder Adam Ward connected off a pass from senior forward Harrsion Petts to make the score 2-1 at the end of the first half. The goal was Ward’s third of the season, while Petts recorded his eighth assist.
With just under six minutes left in the second half, Petts scored his second goal of the night off of a penalty kick. The senior captain placed the ball in the upper right corner past Homestead senior goalkeeper Justin Hanford to make the score 3-1. Zionsville out-shot Homestead 9-4 in the second half and 23-7 overall.
Coach Bashir Birany’s Eagles advanced to the final match with a 1-0 shutout of Lake Central (21-2-1) in Saturday’s semifinal match. The Eagles finished the season with a record 20-3-2. Coach Paco Castillo’s Spartans advanced to the final match with a 4-1 victory over Columbus North (18-3-4) in the semifinal round. Homestead finished the season with a 18-5-1 record.
10/23/09: All-District Teams Announced
Sunday, October 18th marked the release of the Indiana Soccer Coach's Association All-District teams for boys and girls. Leading candidates for player of the year were revealed for the first time and include some great players.
10/29/09: STATE FINAL'S PREVIEW
CLICK BELOW FOR A DETAILED PREVIEW OF ALL EIGHT TEAMS
